Mildred Lorena Brunken

Dale William Kirmse

When Mildred Lorena Brunken was born on March 15, 1920, in Meno, Oklahoma, her father, William, was 41, and her mother, Clara, was 35. She married Martin Ludwig Walter Kletke on October 13, 1940, in Lahoma, Oklahoma. They had three children during their marriage. She died on June 25, 2014, in Jefferson City, Missouri, at the age of 94, and was buried at Alva, Oklahoma.

Mildred Lorena {Brunken) Kletke. SOURCE: Mildred Kletke. — Mildred Lorena {Brunken) Kletke

WHO: Mildred Lorena {Brunken) Kletke
WHEN: DateUnknown
WHERE: LocationUnknown
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

WHAT: Wish I Didn’t Have To Wear Shoes
LEFT TO RIGHT:
- Cora Dierksen is the daughter of Carl C. Dierksen (She was 10 in the 1930 US Census)
- Harold H. Brakhage is the son of John H Brakhage (He was 9 in the 1930 US Census)
- Mildred Lorena Brunken is the daughter of William Leopold Brunken (Born 15 Mar 1920)
WHEN: Circa 1924. Assuming that the children in the picture are about four years old
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma – probably
SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album
NOTES: The boy in the middle of the picture may well be thinking “They get to go barefoot – why do I have to wear shoes?” More likely he is looking down because the sun in his face makes it uncomfortable to look at the camera.

WHAT: Threshing on the William Brunken other farm.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Mildred Brunken, Jerry Coulter
WHEN: Circa 1925 – This would be June-July given this is a wheat harvest in Oklahoma. Mildred (Born 15 Mar 1920) appears to be about 5 years old
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album
NOTES: The tractor is being used to power the threshing machine. Mildred is sitting on a milk can that is probably being used to carry water or fuel for the tractor.

Mildred Brunken in Front of the Threshing

WHO: Mildred Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1925 – This would be June-July given this is a wheat harvest in Oklahoma. Mildred (Born 15 Mar 1920) appears to be about 5 years old
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album
NOTES: In the background behind Mildred is the threshing operation. Teams of mules are being used to draw hay wagons loaded with cut wheat up to feed into the threshing machine. The straw and chaff are being blown onto a haystack.

WHAT: Grandmother Brunken has plucked a chicken and her daughter, Mildred, appears to be amazed that the chicken has no feathers.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Mildred Lorena Brunken, Clara Marie “Mary” (Petersen) Brunken
WHEN: October 1924 – Mary and Mildred are wearing the same clothes as they have on in the picture dated October, 1924 in the Johanna (Plath) Brunken Visits Oklahoma post.
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke
NOTES: Mildred told me that this one of her favorite pictures with her mother.

A party celebrating Mildred Brunken’s fifth birthday

WHAT: Mildred Brunken’s Fifth Birthday
BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Albert Dierksen, Harold Brunken, Erna Brackage, Ella Brackage
FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Wilbur Frey, Harold Brackage, Edna Frey, Mildred Brunken, Elmer Frey, Cora Dierksen
WHEN: March 15, 1925 – Mildred Brunken was born March 15, 1920
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma. Note the vines on the porch of the William Brunken home near Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Alvin Frey, Wilbur Frey, Harold Brunken, Irene Brakhage, Rebecka Brakhage, Leona Brunken, Gertrude Brakhage, Irene Dierksen
FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Albert Dierksen. Elmer Frey. Harold Brakhage, Cora Dierksen, Mildred Brunken, Ella Brakhage. Edna Frey
WHEN: March 15, 1925 – Mildred Brunken was born March 15, 1920
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma. Note the vines on the porch of the William Brunken home near Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

Top Down: Mildred Brunken, Norma Jean Rader
WHEN: Circa 1925
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma – Probably
SOURCE: SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album

LEFT TO RIGHT: Unidentified, Mildred Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1926. These pictures in Hilda’s album were on a page next to pictures dated 1926
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma – Based on the photo processors stamp on the back of the pictures.
SOURCE: SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album

WHAT: Mildred Brunken with her cousin from Nebraska, Irene Brunken
LEFT TO RIGHT: Mildred Lorena Brunken, daughter of Clara Marie “Mary” (Petersen) and William Leopold Brunken; Irene Dorthea Brunken, daughter of Anna Ida (Schlosser) and Gustav “Gus” Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1927
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma – probably the William Brunken home- notice the vines in the background
SOURCE: Hilda Brunken’s Album

WHAT: Mildred Brunken – Confirmation
WHO: Mildred Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1932
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

Mildred Brunken and friends – Confirmation

WHAT: Mildred Brunken and friends – Confirmation
WHO: LEFT TO RIGHT: Unidentified, Mildred Brunken, Unidentified
WHEN: Circa 1932
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

WHAT: Picture of Mildred Lorena Brunken that she apparently traded with friends.
WHO: Mildred Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1935
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

WHO: Mildred Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1935
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

WHAT: Picture of Mildred Lorena Brunken that she apparently traded with friends.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Lucille Alma Pereboom, daughter of Lena (Johnson) and Wilhelm John Pereboom; Mildred Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1935
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

Mildred Brunken – High School Graduation

WHAT: Mildred’s class high school graduation picture
LEFT TO RIGHT: Mildred Brunken
WHEN: Circa 1935
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

WHO: Lahoma Seniors – 1938
WHEN: 1938
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

WHAT: Mildred Kletke’s High School Diploma
WHEN: 1938
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

WHO: Mildred Brunken
WHEN: October 13, 1940
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Darrel Kletke

Mildred Brunken and Martin Kletke Wedding Portrait

LEFT TO RIGHT:Mildred Lorena Brunken, daughter of Clara Marie “Mary” (Petersen) and William Leopold Brunken; Martin Ludwig Walter Kletke, son of Emma Carolina Emile (Wamhof) and Oskar Karl Kletke
WHEN: October 13, 1940
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Donna Martin

LEFT TO RIGHT: Audrey Lee Lindorfer, UnIdentified, Mildred Kletke, Martin Kletke, Harold Brunken
WHEN: October 13, 1940
WHERE: Lahoma, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

Martin Ludwig Walter Kletke

When Martin Ludwig Walter Kletke was born on July 2, 1914, in Alva, Oklahoma, his father, Oskar, was 26 and his mother, Emma, was 25. He married Mildred Lorena Brunken on October 13, 1940, in Lahoma, Oklahoma. They had three children during their marriage. He died on August 20, 2008, in Jefferson City, Missouri, at the age of 94, and was buried in his hometown.

WHO: Martin Ludwig Walter Kletke
WHEN: DateUnknown
WHERE: LocationUnknown
SOURCE:SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

WHAT: Portrait of Martin Ludwig Walter Kletke as an infant.
WHO: Martin Ludwig Walter Kletke
WHEN: Circa 1916
WHERE: Alva, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke
NOTES: Portrait of Martin Ludwig Walter Kletke as an infant.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Roland Heinrich Christian Kletke, son of Emma Carolina Emile (Wamhof) and Oscar Karl Kletke; Martin Ludwig Walter Kletke, son of Emma Carolina Emile (Wamhof) and Oscar Karl Kletke
WHEN: Circa 1924
WHERE: Alva, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

LEFT TO RIGHT: Martin Ludwig Walter Kletke, son of Emma Carolina Emile (Wamhof) and Oscar Karl Kletke; Roland Heinrich Christian Kletke, son of Emma Carolina Emile (Wamhof) and Oscar Karl Kletke
WHEN: Circa 1927
WHERE: Alva, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

WHAT: Confirmation portrait of Martin Ludwig Walter Kletke.
WHO: Martin Ludwig Walter Kletke
WHEN: April 10, 1927
WHERE: Alva, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

WHO: Martin Ludwig Walter Kletke – future husband of Mildred (Brunken) Kletke
WHEN: Circa 1838
WHERE: Alva, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke

WHO: Martin Walter Kletke
WHEN: Circa 1937
WHERE: Alva, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke
NOTES: Martin Kletke in his graduation gown. I am thinking this is when he graduated from Northwestern. While this picture could be of Martin’s high school graduation, he looks older and it is probably of his graduation from Northwestern State College.

WHO: Martin Walter Kletke
WHEN: May 17, 1933
WHERE: Alva, Oklahoma
SOURCE: Mildred Kletke
NOTES: Northwestern State College operated a high school as part of their teachers education program.